Tim Riley freelanced at MTV in 1996. Some kind soul
working in the MTV library found this videotape hidden away in the vaults
and made him this copy.
Tim has noted that it's clear that it was never intended for
broadcast. Firstly, there is no microphone on the interviewer and this
makes her voice too audibly low for broadcast and the one-camera, extreme close-up would make editing
difficult, especially given Smith's erratic movements.
Secondly, a
callous VH1 producer appears to have assigned an unfortunate, naive (and
anonymous) 26 year old female staffer the job of interviewing the
notoriously abrasive and volatile leader of The Fall to earn her music
journalism credentials.
Smith seems to warm to her and drops his usual acidic guard revealing
more than if she'd been a seasoned music hack. The latter stages appear
more like a chat over a cup of tea than an interview, making it one of
the more candid and open media exchanges given by Smith at the time.
There's lots of interesting topics in here; politics, recording albums,
record companies, young fans, plagiarism, Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks
reformation, Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, Pete Waterman and John Peel. I
particularly like the way Smith praises his ex-wife Brix, who had
re-joined The Fall during this period but she would shortly leave
acrimoniously during the album's imminent promotional tour.
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